Mud drum seal



' M. I IPTAK l MUD DRUM'SEAL March 7, 1933.

6 Sheets-Sheet l lli @mi March 7, 1933. M L lPTAK 1,900,019

MUD DRUM SEAL Filed Nov. 30, 1931 l 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 M; y M4;r

March 7, 1933. M-UPTAK 4 1,900,019

MUD DRUM SEAL Filed NOV. 30, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 an) 7M' M. LIFTAK MUD DRUMy S EAL Mrch 7, 1933.

Filed Nov. 30 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 7, 1933; M :UPTAK 1,900,019

MUD DRUM 'SEAL Filed NOV. 50, 1931 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 filly/.15*

M2M/piaf? March 7., 1933.

M. I IPTAK MUD DRUM SEAL` `es sheets-sheet Filed Nv. `30, 1951 Patented Mar." 7,n 1933 MICHAEL Lrrrnx, or errno-1.,' MINNESOTA non DRUM Application iiled November 30, 1931. Serial Np. 578,010.

My present invention relates to boilers, and more particularly to boilers of the bent tube typewherein mud 'drums are hung from -the tubes; and provides anl extremely simple and highly eiiicient mud drum seal. Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel construction and arrangementofparts, in combination with the devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In boilers of the above indicated type, the

mud drums are hung below the upper drunis f or boilers proper and are 'connected thereto by a varied number of water tubes. These water tubes, because of their ver lines and extent of expansion and contracon, tend to shift the mud drumsy transvers y oftheir axis, that is, laterally upward and downward, and expansion in the drums will tend to produce axial movementsofthe ends orl l head portions'of the'drums. When the ends of the drum are set into the furnace wall,

against unyieldingrefractory blocks or mae terial, the strain put upon the mud drum will frequently crack the unyielding refractories 25 or strain the tubes and cause leaky joints between the tubes and mud drum. For these reasons, it is necessary to provide a yielding packing or joint-forming structure that will also maintain a gas-tight joint between the ends of the mud drum and the furnace wall. Moreover, the ends of the mud drums and especially those that' haveA rivetted or Awelded joints,v must be frequently inspected for defects, causing small leaks or which are liable to cause leakage. Hence it becomes of the utmost importance that an arrangement be provided which will yield t 0 movements of thesmud drum and always malntaln gas-tight i joints. between the furnace wall and drum 4 and which may be quickly removed for 1nspecton purposes, plied.` `Also such heat insulating eiiiciency. Boiler explosions l have been frequently caused by rivets weakened by corrosion and'hence the imperative necessity for frequent inspection..

' My present invention provides an extreme- 1y simple and hi hly eiiicient mud drum-seal which has .all o? the above noted desirable features.. Seneigl commercial forms vo f this and then quickly reapjoints should have high improved mud drum seal are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indlcate like parts throughout the v several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic verticalsection' showing the general arrangement of `onetype of boiler wherein the mud drum is suspended' by tubes;

Fig. 2 is an elevation `looking at the iin- 60 proved mud drum seal as applled to -a fur-v nace wall and to the end of the mud drum of a boiler, such as illustrated in Fig. .1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line .3-3 of Fig. 2; 05 Fig. 4 is a vertical section showing a tubular casing of the improved mud drum seal removed from working position Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing'a retaining `diaphragm removedfrom the tubular casing;

Fig. 6 i's a vertical sectionshowing a door plate to be used with but which is removed from the retaining diaphragm; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary enlargedsection 75 vtaken on the same-line as Fig. 3;

Fig. 10 is a view corresponding'to Fig.^3

illustrating a somewhat modified form of the i mud drum seal;

' Fig. 11 is a vertical axial section showing a tubular casing of the structure illustrated in Fig. 10, removed fromworking position;

Fig.v 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionv 90 -takenon the same line as' Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is another view corresponding to Fig. 3, but illustrating a still further modified form of an application of the invention; 1

Fig. 14-is another view corresponding to Fig. 3, but illustrating a still further modified form of the invention; Fig. 15 is` an elevation looking at the inner. M- face .of theremovable retaining diaphragm; 10o

Fig. 16 is an elevation looking at the outer face of the retaining diaphragm; and

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 17-17 of Fig. 15.

Referring to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8, inclusive, and directingr attention first particularly to' Fig. 1, the numeral 20 indicatesv the furnace Walls, the numerals 21 and 22 the upper boiler drums, the numerals 23 and 24, the lower or mud drums, and the numeral 25 the boiler tubes, and which parts are of the very well known arrangement in boiler installations of the bent tube type. The flexible mounting which forms the mud drum seal, in accordance with my invention, is particularly illustrated as applied to the mud drum 23 and which mud drum has hea-ds 23 secured thereto in telescoped arrangement by rivets 23". It is leakage that occurs when rivets 23, either because of defective workmanship or because of corrosion, cause the greatest trouble in maintaining boiler drums in Working condition and hence State laws or rules established by insurance companies make it imperative that these joints should be frequently inspected by persons authorized to do so. insurance companies have refused to carry insurance on boilers unless inspection could be made of the above noted rivetted joints, and in many instances, this has required tearing out of a large' area of the furnace walls.

My invention makes the above noted inspection a very simple and easy matter and, moreover, makes repair of bad rivets possible Without removing more than a small part ofthe surrounding furnace wall.

, lin building up the furnace wall 20, adjacent the end of the mud drum, settle blocks 26 and 27 which have concave-upper surfaces are built into the furnace Wall with their concave surfaces spaced from but Concentric with but both radially and axially outward of the end of the mud drum or boiler. 'llbese settle blocks form a sort of saddle on which is laid, throughout that segmental zone represented by the concave upper surfaces of said settle blocks, the lower members of an outer ring of bricks 28 and the lower members of an inner ring of bricks 29. The bricks 28 may be common brick but the inner bricks 29 must be refractory tile and also the settle blocks 26 are advisably refractory tile. rllhe' settle blocks form a sort of a saddle upon which the lower zone or segment of the rings of bricks 28 and 29 are laid, and the bricks 28 and 29 thus primarily laid, have their inner surfaces concentric with but radially out-Ward from the outer cylindrical surface of the drum 23, and they in turn afford a sort of saddle on which j is placed a cylindrical or tubular metal casing 30. The casing 30 when thus positioned, will be concentric with but spaced radially outward from the outer surface of the drum income 23, and it then aords a templet or form around which the further bricks 28 and 29 will be laid to complete the rings or annular series of bricks 28 and 29. Here it will be noted that the inner bricks 29 at their inner ends are formed with enlargements 29a that project radially toward the drum 23 but are spaced therefrom a'tpoints inward of the rivets 23".

It will also be noted by reference particularly to Fig. 3, that the space between the outer heads of the rivets 23b and the bodies of the bricks 29 is approximatel the same as the space between the inner sur aces of the portions 29a and the outer-surface of the drum. Further, it should be here noted that the metal casing 30 when positioned as described in this preferred arrangement, is located with its inner edge in a plane that is outward of the plane of the rivets 23h. 'lihe importance of this latter noted arrangement will appear later on.

rllhe numeral 31 indicates a metal. diaphragm or annular retaining plate that fits within the casing 30 and is detachably secured thereto by suitable means. lln this particular illustration, a rolled annular commercial angle bar 32 is permanently secured to the interior of thecasing 30 by suitable means such as rivets 33, and the diaphragm 31 is arranged to be secured to the inward projecting flange of said angle 32 by suitable means such as cap screws 34. rlihe central A opening of the annular diaphragm 31 is arranged to be closed by a door plate or cover 35 that is provided with an inwardly projecting annular iiange 36 that telescopes through the opening of said diaphragm and when in position, comes close to the drum head 23a. As means for detachably securing the door plate 35 to the diaphragm 31, the latter is shown as provided with outwardly projecting studs 37 engageable through perforations 38 in the dange of the door plate 35 and provided with nuts 39. Also door plate 35 is shown as provided with a handle 40; i

rllhe space between the mud drum and the adjacent bricks 29, casing 30 and diaphragm 31 is filled in with a more or less fibrous, highly refractory material such as asbestos cement, minera-l wool or the like, indicated by the character a. rFhe same or similar insulating material b is preferaby filled into the panel like structure afforded by the door plate 35 and its flange 36.

Some of the insulating packing will be packed in between the mud drum and the bricks 29 and inner portion of the casing 30 before the diaphragm31 has been applied, and after the diaphragm has been applied, the rest of the material a will be tightly packed in up to the inner edge of said diaphragm. The contraction between the lugs or projecting portions 292l of the bricks 29,

' Here will be noted'the importance of havingv cause the packing to be tightly contracted i around the rivetted heads and against the drum, but the arran ement leaves sufficient thickness of the plia le insulating material surrounding the drum and rivets .to permit all themovements ofthe mud drum that will take place under expansionvand contraction. When the door plate has been applied with its insulating material b, thecentral portion of the mud drum head is also well insulated against radiation of heat. y

When inspection of the rivetted joints is necessary, the diaphragm will be removed and the pliable insulating material may be quickly and easily removed and when this,

` pansion and contraction.

is done, a clear vision of the outer rivet heads and the rivetted joint is afforded.' After the inspection has been made, if the joints are found to be in good condition, the insulating material may be quickly repacked and the diaphragm quickly replaced in working position. As is obvious, the tightly packed insulatinv material in addition to being pliable or flexible, forms a gas-tight joint againstv leakage of gases from the furnace. Ifa defective 'joint or` defective rivets are found, repairs can be made quite easily. y y

For eiframple, if al leaky rivet i-s found, a few of the blocks of the furnace wall will be removed from-the zone in the immediate vicinity of the rivet and a repair tool or tools may be brought into contact with the rivet without removing the metallic casing 30.

the inner edge of the casing 30 outward 4of the plane of the rivets, so that the rivets can be reached through the space afforded by removal of a fewv of the wall bricks. casing.V 30 is thus left in position so that the removed Wall blocks may be properly and quickly replaced after the repair has been made. It is also important to note that the metallie casing 30, in addition to forming a templet, for initial laying ofbricks, vaffords a support that keeps the wall bricks or ele ments surrounding the drum from falling upon or coming too close to the drum andits head, even if theY furnace Wall should .be cracked due to expansion and contraction under the long continued usage.

It is important also to note that the inner bricks 29 are of. such length that they project well over onto the casing 30 and hence will be definitely'po'sitioned thereby. It is further important to note that the angle bar 'or flange 32 gives `the metal casing 30 very great rigidity and strength to resist a ycrushing'action and to keep the casing in true cypositioned, but

provided with a man-hole 23 `[normally closed by a suitable man-hole cover 41. In

this arrangement, the metal casing 30a is` The shown as extended hto the plane of the rivets 23", and is provided on its inner surface with circumferentially spaced inwardly ing angle lugs 42 secured thereto y nut'- equippedr bolts; and the annular diaphragm 31EL is shown as set in and of such internal diameter that/it Will closelyv engage the drum head 23a.

In this instance, the diaphragm 31aL is shown as detachably secured to the lugs 42 by cap screws 44. This diaphragm 31 and rojectpreferably also the diaphragm 31 before described, are of quite thin sheet steel and hence have sufficient resilience to adapt themselves to movements of the drum head caused by ex,-

' phragln 31h is provided at its inner edge with" an'annular angle flange 45-rigidiy secured thereto, with its inner edge extending close to or even in engagementwith the drumv head. As shown, the angle flange 45 is dev t-achably secured to diaphragm 31b by nutequipped studs 46. When this angle flange 45 is removed the insulating material a can be packed into the space provided therefor partly before the diaphra is applied and the' remainderafter the diaphragm has been applied, and such material will be held in place when the angle flange is appliedto the diaphragm.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 14, 15 and 16 and 17, provides a flexible gas-tight- `ioint with a minimum amount of packing,

and which affords an inspection with a minimum of work. In this arrangement, theI metal casing 30b is provided with an internal angle flange 47 bolted or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, andthe annular vdiaphragm 31- provided at its outer edge with an inwardly projecting angle flange 48, bolted or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, andwatwits inner edge with an inwardly projecting angle flange 4 9. Said diaphragm 31e is detachably secured .to the angle flange 47 by machine screws 50 and when in working position, the

.inner flange of the angle flange 49 will come' close to the drum head 23a surrounding its man-hole 23.

rlhe pliable insulating packing a1 is packed between the drum and the surroundin portion of thecasing 30b and lugs 29'* of ricks 29. Further pliable insulatmg material a is packed into the pan-like structure/aflorded"A by the diaphragm 31 and its-flanges 48 and l49; and to assist in lholding this packinga2 inpos-ition, radial rods 51are extended-between the inner portions of thel angle flanges 48 and 49. With this arrangement, the insulating material 'a2 i's applied to the diaphragm before the latter has been applied inmworking position and, of course, `will be rembved therewith when the diaphragm isv hragm and the small amount of packing a1.

iaphragm 31 is shown as provided with hand grips 52.

The door plate illustrated in Fig. 9 is especially 4adapted for use in connection with a structure such as shown in Fig. 13, but may -be used wherever desired.I This door plate indicated by the numeral 53 is shown as connected to the diaphragm 31h by hinges 54, and is arranged to be locked to said plate in closed position by nut-equipped clamp 55.

From the foregoing it is evident that the device described is capable of various modications within the scope of the, invention herein disclosed and claimed. The process employed in this erection of the device described is not herein claimed, but is made the subject-matter of a' companion application filed of even date herewith and entitled Process of erecting mud drum seals.

What l claim is:

l. ln a mud drum seal, a tubular casing adapted to be embedded in a furnace wall concentric to and in the vicinity of the head of the mud drum, a diaphragm removably secured to said casing, and an insulating packing adapted to be packed within said casing and against the mud drum and to-be held in place by said diaphragm.

2. ln a mud drum seal, a tubular casing adapted to be embedded in a furnace wall concentric'to and in the vicinity of the head of the mud drum, a diaphragm removably secured to said casing, an insulating packing adapted to be packed within said casing and against the mud drum and to be held in place by said diaphragm, said diaphragm having a central opening, and a door plate normally closing said central opening but movable to open the same.

3. lln a mud drum seal, a tubular casing adapted to be embedded in a furnace wall concentric to and in the vicinity of the head of the mud drum, a diaphragm removably secured to said casing, an insulating packing adapted to be packed within said casing and against the mud drum and to be held in place by said diaphragm, said diaphragm having a central opening, and a door plate normally closing said central opening but movable to open the same, said door plate having an annular dange projecting through the opening of said diaphragm.

4. In a mud drum seal, a tubular casing adapted to be embedded in a furnace wall concentric to and in the vicinity of the head ofthe mud drum, a diaphragm removably secured to said casing, an insulating packing C adapted to be packed within said casing and modera yagainst the mud drum and to be held in place by said diaphragm, said diaphragm having a central opening, and a door plate normally closing said central opening but movable to open the same, said door plate having an annular -ange projecting through the opening of said diaphragm and further having a handle projecting' from its outer face.

5. The combination with a furnace wall and a4 boiler drum having its head end eX- tended into an opening in said wall, of a tubular metal casing of greater diameter than said drum set into said wall surrounding the head thereof, a diaphragm detachably secured to said casing, and a refractory packing held against the head end of the drum by said casing and diaphragm, said diaphragm and packing, when removed, affording access to the drum head for inspection thereof.

6. The structure 4defined in claim 5 in which said drum has a head secured thereto by rivets and in which said metal casing at its inner edge terminates outward of the plane of the boiler rivets so that access to the rivets may be had when a limited zone of the furnace wall is removed.

7. The structure defined in claim 5 in further combination with settle blocks built into the furnace wall and having concave surfaces that are concentric to said casing.

8. rllhe structure defined in claim 5 in further combination with settle blocks builtl into the furnace wall and having concave surfaces that are concentric to said casing, and a ring of bricks built into the furnace wall immediately surrounding said casing. certain of said bricks being directly laid upon the concave surfaces of said settle blocks.

9. 'lhe structure defined in claim 5 in further combination with 4a ring of bricks built into the furnace wall immediately surrounding said casing.

l0. rlhe structure defined in claim 5 in further combination with a ring of bricks built into the furnace wall immediately surrounding said casing, the inner of the ringinner end portions that approach more closely to the drum than the body portions of said ring-forming bricks.

forming 4bricks having inwardly projected 11. The structure defined in claim 5 in I ring-forming bricks, said drum having a head secured thereto by rivets, the said rivets belng in a plane that is outward of the inward- 'ly extended inner end portions of said inner ring-forming bricks.

12. The structure defined in claim 5 in v ly to the drum than the body portions of said further combination with a ring of bricks built into the furnace wallimmediately surrounding said casing, the inner of the ringforming bricks having inwardly projected inner end portions that approach more closely to the drum than the body portions of said ring-forming bricks, said' drum having a head secured thereto by rivets, the said rivets being in a plane that is outward of the inwardly extended inner end portions of said inner ring-forming bricks, the inner edge of said casing being in a plane outward of the plane of said boiler rivets.

13. The structure defined in claim 5 in which said tubularcasing is provided with a rigidly secured internal angle flange tol which said diaphragm is detachably secured.

14. The structure defined in claim 5 in which said tubularl casing is provided with a rigidly secured internal angle liange to which said diaphragm is detachably secured, said diaphragm having a central opening, and a door plate rigidly secured to said diaphragm and normally closing the opening thereof, said door plate having an inwardly l projecting annular flange.

15. The combination with a furnace ywall and a boiler drum having its head end eX- tended into an opening in said wall, of a tubular metal casing of greater diameter than said drum set intosaid wall surrounding the head thereof, a diaphragm detachablyv secure-d to said casing, a refractory packing held against the head end of the. drum by said casing and diaphragm, said diaphragm and packing, when removed, affording access to the drum head for inspece tion thereof, a ringl of bricks built immediately around said casing, and settle blocks built into the furnace wall and having concave surfaces concentric to said casing and affording a saddle positioning the lower bricks of said ring.

16. The structure defined in xclaim 15 in which said ring of bricks includes outer and inner bricks, the inner bricks projecting inward of the inner edge of said casing and said inner brick ends having portions projecting radially toward but spaced from the drum.

17. The structure defined in claim 15 in which sai-d ring of bricks includes outer and inner bricks, the inner bric-ks projecting inward of the inner edge of said casing and said inner'brick ends having portions projecting radially toward vbut spaced from the drum, said drum having a head secured thereto by rivets located in a plane that is -axially outward of the inwardly projected 4 inner portions of the inner bricks of said ring.

18. The combination with a furnace wall and a boiler, said wall having a transverse mally closing the other end of said opening, means detachabl -securing the diaphragm to the Wall a jacent said other end of said opening, and a packing in the space for inspection.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

MICHAEL LIPTAK. 

